From Ashes
by ImmortalAriadneGoddess
Summary: Clary has suffered abuse too many times to count at her tyrant father and brother's hand since her mother's disappearance. This time, it's gone too far. Now after spending nearly two months in a youth detention center for a crime she's committed against them, she's placed in a foster home. And just when she can't take it anymore, she meets Jace. What happens when problems arise? x
1. Chapter 1

** PROLOGUE**

The male cop looked frustrated at the one way mirror that allowed him to look into the interrogation room. The room where he stood in was dark, where as the other room parallel to this one was brightly lit and held a redheaded teenage girl.

_'Why hasn't she talked yet?' _he thought to himself. _'She can't stay silent forever.'_

He comforted himself with the thought, the sooner he got the hell out of here, the sooner he could crawl back into bed and get some sleep. He then took out his cellphone from his front pocket and started calling his partner.

"Amatis, listen. I need you to do me a favor . . ."

* * *

Clary leaned her head heavily on the cold metal table, her dirty hands tucked warmly in her lap. Just waiting, waiting, and waiting for something. The horrifying turn of events of the previous night replayed in her mind like tape, rewinding over and over again.

_Cold hands gripped her face harshly and moved it sideways, forcing her to face their mocking laughter._

She shivered in response of the memory, not the freezing temperature of the room.

"You cold? I could tell the guys to turn off the A/C if you like."

The female voice snapped Clary out of her previous thoughts, startling her.

Clary looked up from the table blankly, observing the female cop standing in front of her.

The cop in turn, sat down in front of her and laid out a yellow folder on the table.

"My name is Detective Herondale and my partner and I will be the ones to handle your case. My first question is, do you know why you're here?" Detective Herondale asked, peering curiously at her.

Clary nodded apprehensively, vaguely remembering from all those TV shows she had watched when she was younger that she wasn't supposed to talk without a lawyer present.

"Last night, the police received a disturbance call from one of your neighbors and found you practically beating your father and brother bloody last night. Do you deny any of this?" Detective Herondale questioned her, taking out photographs of her father and brother _after _the attack.

She shook her head, indicating no. Even as Clary stared at the pictures of her remaining family, she felt that she couldn't regret it. Not one tiny bit. She was glad for the pain she had caused them because, after endless years of _them_ hurting her now it was _her _turn to inflict the pain.

_"Drop the weapon and step away from the men, ma'am!" The male police officer warned her, his gun already cocked and pointing at her._

_Clary dropped the baseball bat she was holding, which was now stained with spatters of blood. She then turned around and raised her hands in the air as a sign of surrender._

_"You okay?" Clary heard the police officer ask her brother._

_"Thank god, you came. My sister- I don't know what's gotten into her. She just started hitting me and my dad." Jonathan said innocently, with just the tiniest bit of smugness to his tone._

_She turned with the urge to hit him again but the cop beat her to it._

_"Hands against the car!" the officer shouted._

_Complying with his request, she walked the short distance into the car and placed her hands on the hood of the car._

_"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford one . . ." _

_'Oh how the tables have turned,' _she thought.

"Look, Clarissa-" the detective said, but was interrupted by Clary.

"Clary," she heard herself correct the female detective.

"Clary, then. I interviewed your neighbors and they seem to think you're a nice girl. Your teachers at school have high opinions of you, as do your peers. Honestly, I don't buy your father's bullshit story about you suddenly going rabid on them. You don't seem the type to just attack someone for no reason, so what happened?" Detective Herondale asked her once again.

The dull gray door that stood as the entrance and exit of the room, suddenly crashed open revealing a high-strung looking woman. She was wearing a black suit complete with a briefcase that set off her colorless pale blond hair that was set in a tight bun and her hard gray eyes.

"Imogen," Detective Herondale said a little breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

Imogen scowled fiercely at the detective. "What do you think I'm doing here? I'm this poor girl's attorney, Amatis. This is my chance to finally put the bastard behind bars."

Imogen then redirected her attention towards Clary. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

_48 hours later Dispositional Hearing_

"Will the defendant please rise," the judge said.

Clary's nerves jittered as she stood up and fought to restrain herself from chewing her nails.

"How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty."

"And, how do we find the defendant?"

"Guilty."

The elderly judge peered at her over his large glasses. "Clarissa Adele Morgenstern, you are therefore sentenced to at least 8 weeks in a juvenile correctional facility, from there on you will be placed in a foster home seeing as your father, Valentine Morgenstern, has withdrawn all custody rights towards you and has placed a restraining order against you that requires you to maintain a distance of 100 yards. We will be meeting again here in 10 weeks to view your progress. Case dismissed."

* * *

Clary stared emotionlessly at the giant sign that decorated the side of the giant building.

_** HILLBROOK JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER**_

The atmosphere looked peaceful with the bright green grass that decorated the field, and the tall thick brown trees that had softly green colored leaves. But then again, looks where deceiving.

Whether she liked it or not, she had brought this on herself. If she had told them perhaps, she wouldn't be in this situation. But there was always the chance that they wouldn't believe her and take _their_ side and not hers. They would make her out a liar.

Clary sighed and hitched up the strap of her worn-out bag higher up on her shoulder, wincing when the heavy bag touched a healing bruise. Time to get this over with.

Clary walked to the main entrance of the building, dreading the moment when she had to step in. Her increase of dread grew when a creepy looking adult opened the doors from within and greeted her, displaying a smile that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Welcome to Hillbrook."

This was going to be a long eight weeks.

* * *

**I appreciate everyone reading this right now. And honestly, this like literally came to me like around the middle of the night and I just started writing and planning out ideas nonstop. I apologize if the law process information is incorrect, I literally spent like hours Googling this so yeah. Second of all, cut me some slack during this fic because this is my first time writing something like this, other writings aside. If you actually enjoyed and like this then I would appreciate some reviews and feedback on this if you found it interesting or anything at all because the feedback generally helps me write faster/better. Thanks for reading! :) -IAD**


	2. Chapter 2

**From Ashes**

Chapter Two

* * *

_Two months later _

_Foster House 12:15 A.M._

Clary breathed heavily and rapidly through her mouth as she leaned against the rim of the toilet bowl. Feeling thoroughly overdressed in the sauna like room, she rolled up the hem of her faded sweatpants up to her knees and tied her shirt into a loose knot the waist.

She shakily got up on her feet when a sharp pain emanated from her stomach and convulsed, making her kneel unsteadily by the toilet once again. Clary's eyes started watering slightly when she heard someone knock on the door.

She tried to fight the nausea to tell the person on the other side to _please, please _wait. The knocking on the door turned to pounding and the doorknob startled to rattle so fast and loud that she got dizzy just looking at it from the corner of her eye.

Clary couldn't help it or hold it back any longer. Her stomach rolled and clenched simultaneously making a violent eruption spew from her mouth that was her dinner- or had been anyway.

"Joey, I swear to fucking god I'm going to kill you!" An angry male voice shouted from the other side of the door.

After a few more moments loud pounding and more doorknob rattling, it was finally quiet.

Feeling a tad rattled, Clary composed herself and cleaned herself up. She got up from the front of the toilet bowl and splashed some water onto her face before brushing her teeth thoroughly to get rid of the present metallic taste in her mouth.

She walked over to the door and slowly, slowly unlocked the door and opened it revealing a dark but dimly lit hallway. From the corner of her eyes she saw something move but her mind registered it too slowly as the figure sprang out in front of her, making her shriek in surprise.

A hand far larger than her own then muffled her mouth, containing the screams until they died down. She tried to breathe evenly through her nose, attempting to remove the hand from her mouth but the hand didn't even budge.

"Be quiet. You'll wake up Rhonda."

The figure drew closer to her until they were almost face to face and she could see it from the dim lighting of the hallway.

It was boy who was perhaps a year older or younger than her age of seventeen. He had lightly tanned skin, short brown hair that had a slight curl to it, and dark brown eyes that were almost hidden behind by thin black glasses.

"You're not Joey," the stranger said a little breathlessly.

Clary removed his hand from her mouth and brought it down harshly. "No shit, Sherlock. Do I look like a guy to you?" she retorted but then winced, shutting her eyes tightly and putting her arms in front of herself protectively.

It was a reflexive movement that had been ingrained to her every time she had dared talking back to her father or brother and ended only in pain that usually left her sore for days.

When nothing happened, Clary cracked one eye open only to find the stranger watching her curiously.

After a few moments, the stranger rubbed the back of his neck in awkward manner. "I'm Simon," the boy introduced himself. "Sorry for disturbing you, If I'd known you were in there-" He tried to finish, but at the end his cheeks were tinged with splashes of pink.

"That's okay," Clary assured him. "I'm Clary, by the way."

Simon smiled at her, pushing the bridges of his glasses further up his nose only to have them slide down again. "I think I'll just go back to my room. Oh wait, what school are you going to tomorrow?"

"I think it's Idris or something," Clary vaguely replied.

"Is it the high school?" Simon asked her, looking at her in a bizarre way.

"Yeah," Clary nodded. "I remember now. I'm pretty sure it's Idris High School . . . "

He grinned at her. "Why don't I give you a tour tomorrow?"

* * *

_** 7 HOURS LATER**_

_Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Be-_

Clary brought her hand down on the old alarm clock, feeling like it had rung a million times. She groaned and curled herself into a ball, trying to ignore the sunlight that was filtering in through the musty old window.

_Beep Beep Be-_

Clary yanked the cord of the alarm clock and yanked the electrical cord out of the socket. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her limbs freely when she caught the frozen time on her wrist-watch.

_**7:35 A.M.**_

_'Shit. I'm going to be for late for school. I can't screw this up,' _Clary thought with a panic.

In a matter of amazing ten minutes, Clary managed to make herself look half-presentable at the least. She decided to wear some loose blue jeans, a white t-shirt, a green hoodie and some dark Converse. Her teeth were now freshly brushed and her hair free from the knots and snarls it had developed over night.

Clary ran out of her room and walked down the wooden stairs of the foster home with an amazing pace. She entered the kitchen briefly and grabbed some crackers to eat for the walk ahead.

She opened the large creaky wooden door and stepped outside, relieved to have the fresh, crisp air cool her skin. She started to head right, munching on the food she'd grabbed when she heard a vaguely familiar voice from behind.

"So how about that tour?"

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry if this chapter sounds sucky or off it's because when I was writing out most of the chapter my computer blacked out and when I re-started it, the document couldn't be recovered and I had to write it all over again, it just wasn't the same. I want to the thank the readers for supporting this story so far by following it, favoriting it, giving it reviews, and etc. :( So thoughts on this one? x**

**P.S How many times do you want me to update per week? **

**Feedback/Reviews = Quicker chapters**

** A Fishy In The Sea omg I can't believe you actually reviewed this ! :) Haha I thought I was hallucinating at first. I love your stories, I might have read one or two of them. I'd really appreciate it if you help spread it around.**

**What kind of TV shows do you guys like to watch?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments, just the plot-line.**

**From Ashes**

**Chapter three**

* * *

Clary talked with Simon all the way to school. As it turned out, the school was only a short fifteen minutes away from where they lived and the school, Idris, certainly lived up to its name.

The High School before her appeared to be three stories tall and wide, far smaller than any public or private school her father and mother had sent her when she was smaller.

Clary covered her face with the palm of her hand from the bright, early sun.

"Well, this is it," Simon bobbed his head towards the building. "Idris was founded by Hodge Starkweather back in the early 1970's. It's been one of the top schools in the state ever since, or so to speak."

"Then how come I haven't heard of it, then?" she asked him.

Simon shrugged at her. "You could say the school's for special people."

Clary and Simon walked up the limestone lined path that led to the expensive grand entrance of the huge building. The doors right ahead of them were made of glass, the sun reflecting its' light blindingly on them.

Simon stepped forward and opened the door for both of Clary could see ahead of her were the bright, white walls of paint that decorated the lockers are a faded blue color with chips in the paint, revealing the original metallic gray underneath.

There were various crowds of people already populating the large hallway despite the almost lateness of the hour but the one thing that made her even more nervous was the way that they stared at her and whispered to each other as she passed by. Not to mention that they all seemed inhumanely beautiful. At least in her perspective.

"What are you all looking at?" Simon snapped at them, bringing Clary's focus back to the present.

"I swear," he muttered as they walked to the main office." They're looking at you like you're fresh meat."

Clary stifled the urge to turn her head back to see if it was true, but was relieved when Simon continued to talk.

"I'm curious," Simon admitted. "What did you do to get yourself landed in a foster home? Much less Rhonda's."

"I-I don't really have a good relationship with my family, or what's left of it anyway." Clary acknowledged." Then I did something bad . . . and the next thing I know bada-bing, bada-boom, I'm here in a house full of strangers."

Never mind that it was full of strangers, it was by far the nicest house she had been in since her mother had gone from the house, leaving her to notice that her father wasn't really acting much like one. More like exactly the opposite.

The foster-mother, Rhonda, was nice to her half the time and always left food for her and the other kids when she was able to. The rooms weren't exactly the 5 hotel star quality that she was mostly used to, but they were habitable. She would sometimes disappear for days but she never hit Clary or slapped her around to do something. The fact that she didn't treat Clary like gum beneath her shoe made her somewhat okay in her book.

"We're here," Simon announced abruptly when he noticed she kept walking ahead, almost passing the office. He then proceeded to open the door for her once again. "Ladies first."

* * *

"No thanks, you old hag," Simon muttered rudely as he snatched his and Clary's schedules from the rude lady who was working the desk.

"Simon!" Clary exclaimed, shooting him a wide-eyed look as they walked out of the office and leaned against one of the walls near the lockers.

"What?" he asked her, looking unaffected.

Clary sighed. "I rest my case. Give me my schedule."

He handed it over to her, his hand lingering on hers a second longer than what she would've liked it to last. Despite the fact that she had just met him the night before she felt that Simon was a person she could trust. But that did not mean that she still felt anxious whenever someone happened to talk or look at her. It just wasn't something you could turn off, like a switch.

Clary noticed a flash of gold from the periphery of her eye, but ignored it since she was busy starting to read her schedule.

_Clarissa A. Morgenstern Student ID: 785526_

_P1- AP English Lit. – Mr. Vidales – Room: A18_

_P2- Art – Mrs. Bellefleur – Room: C12_

Clary was about to read the rest, when she noticed from the corner of her eye that Simon's face was set in a sneer. She unglued her eyes from her paper and moved her head, on the verge of asking him what was wrong when she saw _him. _His footsteps echoed along the nearly empty hallways as he clearly made their way towards them.

He had the kind of face Clary would have liked to admire and draw onto one of her sketching pads. His face looked angular and pretty for a boy; his features almost making him look leonine. He looked like his skin had been washed in gold, his hair a similar but brighter color, and his eyes a dark tawny amber.

She couldn't help but also notice the slim but clearly defined muscles through his Ramones' T-Shirt as they rippled with each movement. She tried to ignore the fact that his jeans seemed to mold and fit him perfectly, too.

The boy continued walking as if he didn't have a care in the world, only stopping when he was in front of them. He looked to Simon and smirked.

"Long time no see, rat boy," the golden boy said to him, smiling when he noticed the irritation clearly etched on Simon's face.

"Lightwood," Simon sneered.

"I'm wounded," the boy said dramatically, putting a hand over his heart like he had been offended in some way. "Didn't you miss me?"

"Not really. I'm busy," Simon voiced. "As you can see, I have to show my friend around."

He bobbed his head towards Clary and grabbed her hand. "Let's go," he whispered under his breath, but it was loud enough so that Clary could hear, and apparently the Lightwood boy too.

"Not so fast," Lightwood grinned at her, as if he had missed her while standing next to Simon and had just seen her for the first time. "Who's your friend here? Sorry I missed her," he shook his head. "She's just so tiny; I didn't quite see her upon my grand entrance."

Clary instantly felt some of her temper rise; she hated being referred in the third person when she was clearly right _there _in front of them. She knew it was silly to get mad from a small trivial thing, but Jonathan and her wretched father Valentine had always done it.

"_What the hell was that?" Valentine snarled at her, slapping her hard enough to knock her off her chair and __make her land on the ground. "You know well enough not to talk during business negotiations- especially in front of my company partner like that!" _

_Her brother's upper lip curled in disgust. "As if she has the right. Women are to be seen, but not heard."_

_**'What was I supposed to do? Let you discuss me as if I'm an object to be played around with?!'** Clary wanted to scream, but she started to feel a sudden lump in her throat, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to leak at the corner of her eyes. She knew that her father would hate it, because to him emotion was a weakness._

_Valentine stared at her with a look that would have scared the calmest of persons. "You could have been of actual use to me. And now…." He said, his voice tinted with anger. _

"_Take her upstairs, Jonathan. Do whatever you like with her; I have no use for disobedient people in this house." Her father ordered her brother with such finality in his tone that chills made their way up Clary's back._

_The next day, she woke up feeling sore along with fresh marks and bruises that had not been there the night before. _

"_This_ friend can speak for herself you know," Clary snapped at the boy. "_She _is right here, and can perfectly hear you just fine, thanks."

"Feisty one, aren't you?" The Lightwood boy grinned devilishly at her, scanning her so thoroughly that she flushed from his caressing gaze. Feeling like it was getting too uncomfortable for her to bear, she opted to go with Plan B and run away. Right now.

"Let's go," Clary blurted out. "We're going to be late for class!"

Without a second's hesitation she grabbed Simon's arm and managed to run through the long hallway until they were at a safe distance from the golden-skinned boy who was still staring at them. Seeming to regain his composure after a few moments, the boy walked away in the opposite direction.

"How did you know we had the same first period together?" Simon asked her when he finally regained his breath.

"I didn't," she admitted, spots of red adorning her pale cheeks. "I just kinda wanted t-to run away."

Simon laughed, loudly causing the few people around them to look at them. "That was brilliant," he said. "I don't think Jace has ever had a girl run away from him, just the opposite, you know?"

_Jace, so that was his name._

"Yeah," Clary agreed.

Simon's face then turned serious as she had ever seen it in the short time she had met him. "You need to stay away from him, ok? He's pretty much gone through much of the school's female population. I don't you to be next."

"I'll be fine," Clary replied to him. "I think I can take care of myself."

He sighed. "Okay then. I'm going to have to go to the nurse's office for probably the rest of the period to register and take my meds, so if I don't see you for the rest of the day meet me on the steps outside of school."

"Oh, and by the way classroom's right up ahead first door to the left." He informed her once before leaving.

* * *

Clary rubbed her head in hopes of removing the migraine that had persisted since third period. School had been absolute hell, and now she stood by the school steps broodingly waiting for Simon. She couldn't help but feel like she was forgetting something.

And just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she saw him.

"Thank god," Clary said. "I'm starving."

Simon smiled, revealing a set of white pearly teeth. "So am I. You in the mood for Chinese or Thai?"

Then Clary remembered. "Shit, shit, shit, shit on rye," she cursed out loud. She looked to Simon in a panic. "What time is it?"

"Three twenty P.M." Simon answered, looking at his wristwatch. "Why?"

"I forgot. I have a doctor's appointment."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, it's been a busy week. Only about a week or two before testing begins and the teachers are pushing us hard. Better late than never right? Anyways, I got some news earlier this week, I'm going to be a sister!**

** Artemisia Selene: **** You'll have to stay tuned to find out :P Yeah, I know the story's going a little fast but I sort of intended it to go that way, but this is where it mainly slows down.**

**Thank you all for supporting this story by reviewing it, favoring it, following it, and just by reading it. I hope to decent writer someday, so yeah.**

**Feedback/Reviews = Quicker chapters -IAD(:**


	4. AN

SORRY THIS IS NOT UPDATE. BEFORE YOU KILL ME READ THIS

- I think I may do some alterations to the story, which I've recently planned so the story will make more sense. Bottom line, the plot of the story will remain the same, though I'm re-writing almost everything which is why I haven't updated recently.

Please don't kill me. Expect an update soon.

-IAD


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